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UCLA guard Eric Dailey Jr., left, and guard Donovan Dent celebrate after UCLA defeats Oregon in an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
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UCLA guard Eric Dailey Jr., left, and guard Donovan Dent celebrate after UCLA defeats Oregon in an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
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LOS ANGELES — Eric Dailey Jr. slept in the gym.
Literally.
In fact, he wanted to.
On Thursday morning, after the Bruins’ plane home from Seattle landed at 2:30 a.m., he took the team bus from the tarmac to the practice facility. He hoisted shots into the depths of the night, allowing himself finally to rest around five. He took an ice bath to recover and nestled into one of the bunk beds in the Mo Ostin Center. He set his alarm for 9 a.m. so he could workout twice more before UCLA’s team-wide practice Thursday evening.
“I was in the gym three times before our next practice,” he said. “I didn’t really care how comfy it was. I could have slept on the floor, honestly.”
Dailey’s accustomed to spending nights in the gym to reset after a poor performance. He’s done it since he first picked up a basketball and learned how much he hated the feeling of having a cold night.
He needed that ritual to cleanse a scoreless outing in UCLA’s win at Washington and bounce back to lead the Bruins with 18 points and eight rebounds in a 74-63 win over Oregon (4-5, 0-2).
Beyond his scoring, Dailey’s attitude carried the Bruins on Saturday and has lifted them throughout the season.
“One thing about Eric, man, he don’t lack for confidence,” head coach Mick Cronin said. “He always gives you effort.”
His additional shootarounds translated to the first half as he started the game 5 of 6 from the field. He hit two 3-pointers. One from the corner and the other from the right wing. He dribbled into a jumper. He backed down his defender, spinning into a mid-range shot, kissing it off the top of the backboard to give UCLA a 13-point lead.
In the second half, his toughness turned into extended possessions as he grabbed four offensive rebounds. With 7:44 to play, after Donovan Dent missed a free throw, Dailey beat his man to the glass for a putback layup.
As Oregon walked down a 17-point deficit, his timely hustle plays helped make up for the Bruins’ inefficient shooting, as they went 9 for 28 (32.1%) from the field in the second half.
“That’s the kind of stuff you know, as coaches, you try to teach, because those are controllables, effort plays that win games,” Cronin said.
On Saturday, that was key as the Ducks shot an identical, porous 32% on field goals in the second half, but couldn’t match Dailey’s intensity in the margins.
While it was imperative on Saturday, Dailey’s grit transcends the game-to-game moments. Naturally vocal, he’s taken responsibility as the Bruins’ voice during his second year in the program.
It’s constantly tangible.
“Every team you got to have a guy that’s not afraid to challenge his teammates,” Cronin said of Dailey. “He’s the reason some of these guys are playing better.”
On Saturday, that showed as all five of UCLA’s starters finished in double-digits. Tyler Bilodeau and Xavier Booker each contributed 12 points. Skyy Clark, again, provided an early spark, scoring 10 of his 13 points in a flurry to end the first half. Dent added 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
Moreso, as Dent’s shooting struggles reappeared, after missing a floater in the first half, Dailey grabbed his jersey and told him to keep his head up.
Earlier this season, during an intense practice session before UCLA’s game against Arizona, Dailey tested his teammates with booming messages. He yelled at them to “hit someone” and to “wake the (bleep) up.” He harped on Booker for getting stuck in a rebounding drill, encouraging him once he finished it.
In UCLA’s game against Sacramento State, Dailey was the one starter who kept his spot when Cronin decided four-fifths of his starting lineup would come off the bench. Then after that game, Dailey complimented each one of the reserves that started for a different aspect they excelled in.
He stayed in shape despite missing all of October due to a knee injury because of work ethic. He’s become a natural leader in the locker room because of his hard-nosed, contagious enthusiasm. He’s risen as a contributor on both sides since transferring to UCLA from Oklahoma State before last season.
Yet, too often in the midst of his strong performances, he has complete disappearing acts like he did Wednesday. His lapses of consistency, Cronin explained, come from the same trait that makes him invaluable.
“For many of us in life, our strength is our weakness,” Cronin said. “His intensity and passion is his strength, but at times, it’s his weakness. He’s got to learn how to control it. Then he’ll be more consistent.”
For example, on Saturday after Bilodeau committed a hard foul on Oregon freshman Dezdrick Lindsay, Dailey took issue. He got face to face with Lindsay, riling himself up when, Cronin said, he could have just ignored it.
“He’s got to learn to control his emotions,” Cronin said.
When they exude in a positive way, though, it’s palpable throughout the Bruins’ roster. His teammates expressed gratitude for their ferocious leader, who set a visible example with his late-night, inspiring side-quest
“That shows how bad he wants it,” Booker said. “I’m grateful to have a teammate like that.”
“Thank you,” Dailey replied.
